Belle's Hot Chicken

150-156 Gertrude St 

Fitzroy, VIC 3065
http://www.belleshotchicken.com/

After a week of having home-made rice paper rolls for lunch at work, I felt that I’d earned a meal at Belle’s Hot Chicken. And call it providence but, this also turned out to be an early celebratory dinner, as less than 12 hours later, I finally got my big break as a pharmacist! Hooray to working in prestigious hospitals!

The vibe here is diner-classy (yes that’s a thing now) and so is the food. Once night dropped, the bar and booths took on the glow of perpetual twilight, evoking with it a mood of quiet companionship and the promise of a night still young. 

Eschewing any beating around the bush, Belle’s Hot Chicken is exactly what it says on the packet – Meat, Heat, Sauces, Sides, Eat! The thoughtful box of wet wipes on the table gives a hint of what’s to come; there is also cutlery available but PFFT. Fish and mushrooms are available for those who don’t like fried chicken – a considerate addition. If you don’t like fried however, then you’re very much out of luck.

Hot Dark Meat (drumstick and thigh) ($16)

For $16, we were given the option of 3 cuts of chicken in 5 degrees of spiciness, all the way up to Really F**king Hot (sic). It was a no-brainer of a choice for me, and I went with the Hot Dark Meat (drumstick and thigh) ($16). The chicken was crazy juicy, and each bite left the fat dripping down my chin. The crisp, dry batter had a nice, smoky kick; between the sizzling fat and spices, I regretted not getting a tub of ranch sauce to cool things down. Luckily the chicken was served with a generous handful of sweet house-made pickles, so I doused the fire that way. 

Southern Tenders ($16) 

Mild-mannered Chris on the other hand ordered the Southern Tenders ($16) – a placid serve of 4 chicken strips coated in a warm mix of spice. Though not as juicy as the dark meat, these were nevertheless notably tender and moist, and the batter was flavoursome without overpowering the chicken. 

Almost Arnold’s Beans

Each serve of chicken also came with your choice of any side, and the first we had was the Almost Arnold’s Beans. Completely defying expectations, the string beans were cooked to a comforting mushiness in a pork hock stew, and then given a little pick-me-up with a hint of spice and pickle.  Frankly I could have this on its own as a meal, scooped over a bed of fluffy white rice. 

Hot Dark Meat with Almost Arnold's Beans ($16)/Southern Chicken Tenders with Old Bay Fries ($16)

And of course, the Old Bay Fries. These were cooked to perfection – the outside lightly bronzed, with a fluffy centre. Shaken over was the nostalgically savoury spice mix, and we had no trouble polishing them off.

Chocolate and Peanut Brittle Soft Serve ($6)

Our indulgent meal was wrapped up with a serve of Soft Serve ($6). This isn’t just any soft serve – the flavours change from day-to-day, and we were lucky enough to stumble upon the concoction of Chocolate and Peanut Brittle. The ice cream was light and smooth, almost like a just-frozen milkshake, and tinged with cocoa. Meanwhile the brittle was layered lavishly through the soft serve, the crunch of toffee shards combining addictively with crushed roasted peanuts. This is a soft serve that’s definitely worth the price tag.

In the end, fried chicken is just fried chicken, but there’s something to be said about even the most simple of dishes when they’re made to such a high standard. Plus, where else can you go that practically mandates ordering fried chicken? And if you say KFC, just wait until you try fried chicken that doesn’t leave a coat of grease in your mouth. Like Belle’s Hot Chicken.

Rating: 13.5/20 – beautiful hot chicks.

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.

Rustica Sourdough

402 Brunswick St 

Fitzroy, VIC 3065
http://www.rusticasourdough.com.au/

The grass is always greener on the other side; case in point: whilst I’ve lamented my unemployment through a string of brunches, Chris is constantly complaining about the hotcakes that he’s not getting to have on account of work. But now that Chris is back at uni (and I’m still more or less unemployed), we finally have a chance to brunch together at Rustica Sourdough.

Located right around the corner from brunch big shot Hammer and Tong, Rustica Sourdough lures passers-by in with its tantalising display of baked goods. But as most people quickly discover, not only is Rustica a bakery, but also a quaint little cafe. Decorated with bushels of wildflowers and grainy wooden furniture, it is indeed rather rustica, and very very charming. 

Hot Cross Buns

Home-made Pizza

Banana and Pecan Loaf

Aside from bread though, there is an intoxicating range of goodies lined up behind a long counter. Sweets and savouries, treats and take-away lunches – whatever you need, they’ve got you covered.

Skinny Flat White ($3.5) 

Having resigned myself to my coffee addiction, I happily sipped on a Skinny Flat White ($3.5) whilst waiting for my food. Unfortunately this was a fairly unremarkable coffee. To its credit though, it has a healthy, strong kick to it, and the crockery it’s served in is darling. 

French Toast ($16.5) 

French Toast ($16.5) 

We were warned that the French Toast ($16.5) would be enormous, and despite brushing off the waiter’s cautions, I couldn’t help but gasp when confronted with this mountain of sugary goodness. The thick, golden slabs of brioche were coated with sticky butterscotch cream. From the top of the pile tumbled a cornucopia of ripe summer berries, garnished with flower petals and sugary crushed praline. 

French Toast ($16.5) 

Despite its indulgent appearance however, the dish was actually a rather balanced affair. The richness of the butterscotch sauce combined well with the cool pistachio mascarpone, whilst the poached apples, sandwiched by the fluffy brioche, were ripe and wholesome. But in the end, we were defeated by the sheer size of it.  

Spanish Omelette ($17) 

Compared to the French Toast, anything would’ve looked underwhelming, but although the Spanish Omelette ($17) looked humble, it wafted tantalisingly with the aroma of sage and pine nuts. 

Spanish Omelette ($17) 

I was originally sceptical about the lack of toast, but the sheer amount of egg in this dish meant that we really didn’t need it. The omelette was crisp on the outside, but fluffy in the middle, and studded with chewy strips of spicy chorizo and sweet butternut squash. The peppery salad of wild rocket meant that the eggs didn’t become cloying halfway through. That said though, I would call this more of a summer frittata than a Spanish omelette but hey, a rose by any other name, right?

Quinoa, Soy, and Linseed Sourdough/Roasted Pumpkin Sourdough 

I was just mourning over the fact that I had no room to try any of the baked goods, when the staff showed up with a massive goodie bag for me to take home. I was treated to two fresh loaves of bread – a strong and yeasty Quinoa, Soy, and Linseed Sourdough, studded with wholesome nuts, and a Roasted Pumpkin Sourdough that’s creamy yellow in the middle with a hint of sweetness. 

Salted Caramel and Vanilla Custard Cronut/Savoury Muffin/Hot Cross Buns/Ispahan Croissant/Blueberry Brioche Doughnut

The best bit by far however was the box at the bottom, which included 5 delectable treats:

Salted Caramel and Vanilla Custard Cronut: yes this was as scandalously indulgent as it sounded, the buttery pastry layered with thick vanilla custard and a salty streak of caramel.

Savoury Muffin: I usually can’t stand savoury muffins, but this one was stuffed with herbs and deliciously fluffy.

Hot Cross Buns: these were swooped up before I had a chance to try them, but I was told that they were chock-full of fruit and quite lovely.

Ispahan Croissant: this was my favourite of the lot. Though it looked pretty with rosewater icing and dried flower petals, it’s the centre that really took my breath away. The flaky layers were streaked through with raspberry and lychee, so that it took on a melt-in-the-mouth texture reminiscent of bread and butter pudding.

Blueberry Brioche Doughnut: lightly fried and rolled in a flurry of sugar, this doughnut was golden on the outside, whilst the inside remained fluffy and white, soaking up the chunky blueberry compote.

Though Rustica Sourdough wasn’t anything fancy, I thought that it made for a nice change to have a brunch that was generous in size, and just plain tasted good. Plus, I like the range of options available when it comes to ordering a small post-brunch dessert. This is a great option for those who just can’t be bothered to wait 40 minutes to get into Hammer and Tong.

Rating: 13/20 – doughnut forget me!

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.

Sweet and Sour Fork dined as a guest of Rustica Sourdough. 

Shifty Chèvre

375 Brunswick St 

Fitzroy, VIC 3065

http://www.shiftychevre.com/

Chris and I are pretty non-believing when it comes to Valentine’s Day, but in a very pacifist sort of way, with none of that IT’S A COMMERCIALISED HOLIDAY anger. However, we do take the opportunity to do something a little special together, maybe exchange cards or small tokens. Just like we do on many other days of the year, because that’s what real love is about, right?

Cheese is one of my favourite indulgences, but I find it hard to branch out from the supermarket fridge section, given how you can’t just casually waltz into a high-end restaurant and order nothing but a cheeseboard. That’s why I couldn’t believe my luck when Shifty Chèvre, a dedicated cheese (and soon to be wine) bar and cafe opened up in the heart of Fitzroy. 

I love the way the name of the restaurant rolls around in my mouth, and every time I say it, it comes out in my poshest (and worst) French accent – I just couldn’t help it. Kudos to whoever fitted out Shifty Chèvre, because it is such a perfect mix of provincial, whimsy, and comfort. It was a lovely summer’s day outside, and with the sunshine spilling in through the front windows, it felt like I had wandered down to the village grocer for a bite to eat. 

The rustic wooden shelves were filled with a gamut of cheese-related goods, from home-made preserves to cheese knives in various sizes. We even spotted canned duck confit and thimble-sized jars of sliced truffle, labelled entirely in French. Ooh la la! 

Skinny Flat White ($3.5)

People should be forbidden from asking if I want a coffee on days when I decided to go without, because next thing I knew, I was sipping on a Skinny Flat White ($3.5). I couldn’t berate myself all that much in the end though, because I thoroughly enjoyed this smooth, mellow, and chocolate brew. 

Open Baguette with Grana Padano and Ham, Roast Vegetable, and Pesto ($11.5)

In true gentlemanly fashion, Chris delegates ordering completely to me on our dates, and in true nice-foodie-girlfriend fashion, I ordered something I knew would float his goat – the Open Baguette with Grana Padano and Ham, Roast Vegetable, and Pesto ($11.5). This was an absolutely class act. On the bed of sweet roasted summer vegetables was not your usual ham, but smooth, fatty slices of prosciutto with a rich, porky aroma. It was topped off with sharp gratings of cheese, and small dollops of coarsely ground pesto that burst with colour and flavour. The baguette itself was also – naturally – spot-on, with a soft and yeasty centre and just a little bit of crunch at the edges.

The Taswegian Salad ($11.5)

The Taswegian Salad ($11.5)

It was a fairly warm day and The Taswegian Salad ($11.5) was exactly what I had in mind. Once again, this dish was summery, vibrant, and filled with goodness. The medley of vegetables was crisp and fresh, with the finely diced carrot and red onion adding a refreshing crunch. There was more of that lusciously silky ham, and the diced Tasmanian Emmental was waxy and mild. Tossed in a light Dijon mustard dressing, this was the ultimate feel-good lunch. 

With so much cheese brazenly on display, we couldn’t resist topping our meal off with a platter. We weren’t sure we could eat one of the $20 cheese platters by this point, but our waitress kindly offered to slice up some cheese and serve it up with some quince paste for us. Unfortunately we did have to pay for the crackers but the quince paste was free!

It was an ordeal, trying to decide which cheeses we wanted to try. The proviso is that we have to buy a minimum of 100g because anything smaller is too cumbersome to cut up, so we had to make sure that we really liked whichever cheese we chose. Luckily the staff were more than happy to shave off samples for us to taste-test, and we eventually settled on the Brie Marriote ($5.2/100g) for me, and the Tasmanian St Claire Emmental ($4.2/100g) for Chris. 

 Brie Marriote ($5.2/100g)/Tasmanian St Claire Emmental ($4.2/100g) 

I had a good deal of the Emmental in my salad, but when had on its own, I could really appreciate its fruity and mildly nutty aroma, and its wonderfully soft and slightly chewy texture. It’s pretty much a jack of all trades when it comes to cheese. As nice as the Emmental was though, I couldn’t stop eating the mild, creamy wedge of Brie. It was absolutely out of this world when combined with a smidge of quince paste, making for a dessert that rivals the best of cheesecakes.

I’m going to keep this simple: I love Shifty Chèvre and I can’t wait to come back.

Rating: 15/20 – sneaky stilton. alternatively: sweet dreams are made of cheese, who am i to diss a brie?

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit. 

On our way back to the tram, we stumbled across a craft market, and these adorable greeting cards were Chris (he’s a programmer) and I in a nutshell. Never have I found anything that expresses my sentiments so succinctly and accurately. 

And being in Fitzroy, I just couldn’t resist taking a photo of the amazing (and in this case, perfectly timed) graffiti. 

Malaymas

320 St Georges Rd 

Fitzroy North, VIC 3068

Allow me to be a bit gross for a moment. Although my wisdom teeth came out without a hitch, I am left with stitches in the bottom half of my mouth, and an empty tooth socket in the top half. Though I only got the right side taken out and will have to go back later down the track to get the left ones taken out, I do get to enjoy the perks of having solids just a day after my operation. I found out soon enough however that rice gets stuck in tooth sockets awfully easily, and this meal at Malaymas cemented that unfortunate fact.

Anyway, enough whinging about my tooth sockets. Having made the initial stages of my recovery very quickly, I met up with Ethan for a long overdue dinner. I’m pretty picky when it comes to Malaysian food, having eaten my way around Malaysia, and lived in the Asian side of Melbourne for half my life. I was a little sceptical regarding the ravings about Malaymas but hey, what’s life without a bit of hope?

Hainanese Chicken Rice ($11.9)

Having only just moved off semi-solids (chunky soups, overcooked pasta), I was keen to get a good bit of protein in me with Hainanese Chicken Rice ($11.9). And it was just my luck that the chicken was pale and silken, poached to tender perfection and resting in sesame soy, accompanied by excellent ginger-chilli sauce. The rice was rather dry and sparingly flavoured, but the chicken soup was packed full of umami, and less MSG than one would expect, especially of a soup this tasty. 

Fried Kueh Teow ($11.9)

I wouldn’t claim this very often at all, but I consider myself a connoisseur of Fried Kueh Teow ($11.9). After all, it is my all-time favourite Malaysian dish. This one ranked only slightly above average. Though tasty and well-seasoned, the noodles were half-hearted in their caramelisation, and were missing the crucial ingredients of Chinese sausage and cockles – the crux of the flavours in the dish. 

Ice Kacang ($6.5)

No beating around the bush here – the Ice Kacang ($6.5) was bloody delicious. Drizzled with an irresistible mixture of rose syrup and sweet-yet-salty palm sugar, the dessert was made better by the generous scattering of crushed peanuts and sweet corn. And the hidden bounty of beans, grass jelly, and agar under the sweet ice crystals tipped us over into sheer ecstasy.

You know why I think Malaymas is so popular? Because it’s a decent Malaysian restaurant in a part of town that has little to no Malaysian food. Speaking from the eastern suburbs however, I found everything a bit pricey; I’m used to bigger portions for a similar price, or the same portion for several dollars less. The food as a whole was good but not remarkable; however the ice kacang was every bit as good as what south-east Asia has to offer. Worth crossing town for? I would say so.

Rating: 13/20 – ice KACHING!

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit. 

Breizoz Creperie

2/49 Brunswick St 

Fitzroy, VIC 3065

http://breizoz.com.au/

Chris and I both earning a decent salary for the last couple of years has made me complacent. I’ve almost completely forgotten how to feed two people on the budget of a single second year uni student. But when life threw a bunch of expenses at me at the same time, I was left digging through those dusty-long-neglected skills. Surprisingly, I managed to piece together a dinner date that was not only delicious, but cheap too.

After sharing a drink and some $1 pinxtos at Naked for Satan, we walked the few blocks down Brunswick Street for dessert at Breizoz Crepes. It’s odd that I haven’t heard about this creperie until earlier this week, considering how well regarded it is, and how long it’s been around.  In my defence, aside from the small sign and the smell of butter, it looks very much like a run-of-the-mill cafe.

The inside of the cafe is cosy and pleasantly cramped, filled with waiters with throaty French accents and European charm to match. Despite that, it was the street-side seating in the leafy shade that won our hearts.

Though maybe these two cuties at the next table had something to do with it too.

Apple and Chocolat ($9.5)

The crepes on offer extend over an entire page, going from the simple butter and sugar to elaborate confections of flambé Cointreau with praline. I was in no mood to capture a gust of flame on my crepes however, so instead we opted for a simple Apple and Chocolat ($9.5). 

Apple and Chocolat ($9.5)

The parcel was soft and pliant, filled with apple puree. The dark chocolate sauce on top was delicious, its a dark richness a loving contrast to the light tanginess of the apple. 

Chestnut ($8.5)

But it was the simple Chestnut ($8.5) crepe that stole my affections. Despite its plain appearance, the crepe was indulgent down to the last mouthful, the pastry infused generously with butter and sugar. The edges were crisp and waffly, becoming velvety and pliant in the centre, layered with chestnut spread. 

Large Meringues ($3ea)

Large Meringues ($3ea)

On my way to pay, I spied the Large Meringues ($3ea) sitting under a glass cloche, and I was lost. These turned out to be almond flavoured, the crust crumbling rapidly to reveal a stretchy, chewy centre that melted in a waft of sugar and sweet roasted nuts. 

I am so, SO smitten with Breizoz Creperie and their shameless use of butter and sugar. I could feel the stress leaving me with each sweet and salty bite of perfectly textured crepe. No wonder the French live so long.

Rating: 14.5/20 – vive la france!

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.